Online Desk: After 21 hours of frantic efforts, firemen managed to bring the Chattogram’s Sitakunda cotton warehouse fire under their control on Sunday morning. Md Abdul Malek, assistant director of Chattogram’s Fire Service and Civil Defence, said 22 fire fighting units doused the blaze at about 7:30am on Sunday.

Members of the army, navy and fire service were tirelessly working to douse the fire completely. Kumira Fire Service senior station officer Sultan Mahmud said, “There were 2700 tonnes of cotton inside the warehouse which made it difficult to bring the fire under control.” Meanwhile, a 10-member probe committee, headed by Chattogram district administration’s deputy director Badiul Alam, was formed to investigate the cause behind the fire.

The committee has been asked to submit a report within five working days, said Md Towhidul Islam, executive magistrate of the district administration. The fire originated at the cotton warehouse of Unitex Group in Chhoto Kumira area around 10:30 am on Saturday. The origin of the blaze and the extent of damage could not be ascertained yet.